Early School Year
by Raiast
Summary: Rated for some language...Not the best at summaries. Hermione looses her parents and is shipped off to school just weeks after she left. To her surprise a certain trio of Slytherins are also there (not crabbe or goyle) and a strange alliance is formed. It
1. The Alliance

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I must present my deepest regrets in the passing of your parents so suddenly. I understand now, that law enforcement officials will not allow you to stay in your house without a legal guardian to watch you._

_You now have a decision to make. You can gather your things, and move to the Order Headquarters after the funeral, or you may choose to spend the remaining summer vacation at Hogwarts._

**I'm not going to the funeral…**Hermione thought.

_You should know, however, if you choose the latter, that other students now are staying at the school. Students in which, I assume, you are not very fond of and have had your differences at times._

**Malfoy…_excellent_…**

_I await your response by the owl provided, and must again express my sincere condolences. _

_Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,_

_Albus Dumbledore'_

Hermione Granger dropped the letter on her bed next to her trunk. She continued packing her books and quills, relieved now that she didn't have to explain anything to her friends.

**Sorry guys...**she thought as she quickly folded her school robes and threw them in her trunk. **I really don't want your pity right now.**

Hermione began rolling up a long sheet of parchment, and in doing so glanced at herself in the mirror. She tied the roll and placed it in her trunk and then turned back to the floor length mirror hanging on her wall.

She walked up to it, touchy the smooth, glass surface. This wasn't her. This couldn't be the Hermione Granger everyone knew and expected back at Hogwarts.

She had gotten a bit taller. She had thinned, probably due to the recent increase in stress. Her hair was black and straight, thanks to the new shampoo she used, and about half a foot past her shoulders.

She had gotten curvier, and started wearing makeup (dark makeup), not that it had helped her much this past week. She had paled. It was more visible with her dark clothes.

The lack of sleep and self mind-torture had taken quite a toll on the meek little bookworm that everyone knew.

A knock at the door drew her out of her thoughts, and she rushed downstairs to greet her visitor.

A tall, old man, with brilliant white hair and a long white beard, wearing black robes and a purple cloak stood in her doorway. His face was gentle, his old age etched in every line, every wrinkle, but still he refused to give up his job as Headmaster of Hogwarts, or any other title. His eyes twinkled, as they always did, with warmth and friendliness, and he was smiling.

If he was surprised or appalled at the state of Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore sure didn't show it.

"Professor!" Hermione gasped. "What are you doing here?" she asked, shocked at her quick rudeness to her Headmaster. "I mean, come in!" she side stepped and allowed him to enter her home.

"Hello Miss Granger. Fine day today." He replied almost business-like as he passed through the doorway.

"Please, sit down." Hermione pointed to a couch in her living room next to the fireplace and had a seat in one of the chairs across from it.

Dumbledore complied with her request, and gazed at the lamp on the table next to him intently, as if studying it. "I'm here to take you to Hogwarts."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "How did you know I was going?"

Dumbledore's fixed smile widened. "I always know, remember?"

Hermione smiled. "Would you like some tea?"

"That would be splendid, thank you."

Hermione quickly got up and bustled into the kitchen, putting a kettle on the stove and gathering cups and tea bags.

"I say," she heard Dumbledore marvel from the next room. "How does this muggle contraption work?"

Hermione glanced in the room and saw the wizard gazing again at the lamp next to him. As she walked back to the stove she raised her hands and gave two crisp claps.

The lamp must have turned on, because moments later Albus Dumbledore could be heard gasping and then laughing. "What a marvelous invention!" he called to her.

Hermione returned to the living room with two mugs of hot tea and a plate of scones and Dumbledore promptly offered her a lemon drop.

"No thank you." She replied.

He smiled. "They never do…" he muttered almost to himself. "Now, to business." Dumbledore straightened up, as if speaking business matters with the Pope of Italy.

"I understand you do not plan on attending the funeral?"

Hermione opened her mouth to ask how he might have known this, but on a second thought decided she didn't really want to know.

"That's correct. Yes, Professor."

"Then we will leave at once! That is, as soon as I finish my scone."

---

Swirling. Everything turning around her. There wasn't that must around her. Hermione sneezed. Then sneezed again. Swirling, spinning, turning, churning. Sneeze, sniff, sneeze. Finally it stopped.

Everything stopped moving and Hermione fell out of the Albus Dumbledore's fireplace place, closely followed by her trunk that seemed fit to land on top of her.

Ouch.

"Bloody hell!" she muttered, pushing the crate off of her. One good thing about wearing all black, it can't get all sooty.

Hermione had been so disoriented immediately after flooing that she hadn't noticed the peals of laughter coming from the office door.

Of course, there to witness her gracelessness was Draco Malfoy, accompanied by Blaise Zabini and another Slytherin she didn't recognize.

"Shove it, Malfoy." She hissed.

"Ooh…" he feigned fright, "the mudblood's mad at me!"

Hermione herself was about to say something she, months earlier, would have strongly disapproved of, but the second she opened her mouth, Dumbledore could be heard flooing into the room.

"Miss Granger, you know Draco Malfoy."

"I know him." She growled, staring him down fiercely.

"Blaise Zabini and Xavier Darnel." Albus continued, pointing to each student in turn. "I trust I'll have no problems between you four?" It wasn't a question.

"Yes Professor." They chorused.

"Then you may all go. Your trunk has been taken to your dorm already, Miss Granger."

They all exited the office, and Malfoy waited until the gargoyle had jumped back into place to say anything to Hermione. "Why the makeover, Granger?"

"Buzz off." She replied, walking in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

Malfoy cut her off. "Surely you don't think you look _better_ that way?" When he received no response he added "Not that you looked good in the first place, or anything, but I suppose the makeup _does _help."

Hermione stopped and stared at Malfoy in disbelief. **Did he just compliment me??**

"I mean with that on, well, it hides that hideous face of yours. You've gotten skinnier too. Tell me, did you throw up after meals, or just stop eating altogeth—"

Malfoy didn't have a chance to finish his statement as a resounding crack filled the hallways.

"Shut it." Hermione hissed.

"Make me, mudblood." Hermione raised her hand again but Malfoy caught it this time. He yanked her towards him, so there wasn't but two inches space between them. "You will never touch me again, Granger. Do you understand me?" he snarled.

A minute passed in silence. Then another. For a moment Draco and the others thought she was going to apologize. And in that moment of assuming, Malfoy let down his guard, and Hermione spit directly in his eye.

The next moment was a bit of a blur. Malfoy dropped her wrist and clutched his face like it was on fire, while Hermione kneed him in the groin, Blaise and Xavier scowled at Hermione, but were visibly holding down laughter, and Hermione touched Draco's shoulder gently and whispered, "I'll have to get that leg removed, after having it there." Then swiftly turned and walked away.

---

**Ice, ice, need ice!!! **Draco stumbled through the hallways to the Slytherin common room in a rage, resisting the urge to turn around and find the mudblood that kneed him in the groin and teach her a sweet lesson.** __**

**If I ever catch Granger off guard I swear to Merlin I'll—**"Best blood."—**tear her to pieces! I'll rip her throat out and make her eat it! I'll gut her and hang her by her innards! The stupid mudblood! How I'd like to—**"Hey Malfoy, feeling better?"—**shred that soft, delicate skin! Kill her! I can't wait to—**"Fine." Malfoy growled.—**blow her to pieces after she watches her precious friends die slowly at my hand!**

Draco Malfoy collapsed in the chair next to the fire place, wincing ever so slightly at Xavier's malicious grin. Bonds among Slytherins were tight, when a friendship could be found, but that didn't stop the best of friends from kicking each other while they were down.

"Stupid mudblood." Draco muttered, mostly to himself.

"If she bothers you that much, go find her." Xavier suggested.

"What are you implying?" Malfoy asked, rubbing his temples with his forefingers.

"I'm implying you one-up Granger. Go find her, hurt her; make her bleed and scream and cry. Make her beg you for mercy." Darnel urged.

"All because she kicked his member?" Blaise asked from the other side of the room, an eyebrow raised.

"Zab's got a point. Besides, I have a strict policy about not hurting girls unless necessary." Malfoy declared.

"I told you no to call me Zab." Blaise called over to him, eyes never leaving his book.

"Sure thing, _Bini_." Draco emphasized the new nickname. Blaise Zabini sighed.

A few minutes passed in silence and everyone was left to their own thoughts.

Draco stood up abruptly. "You know, I think I will go find Granger."

"Annihilate her!" Darnel exclaimed in a hoarse, rather creepy voice.

---

Hermione walked. And walked. And walked and walked and walked. My, it was a long way from the common room to the Astronomy Tower.

She started whistling. And humming. And finally started singing softly to herself. Then loudly. Loud enough, at least, for a certain blonde Slytherin to track her down.

Hermione suddenly stopped singing. She forgot the lyrics. Silence rang until Hermione remembered the tune and started humming it. Was there a drum in this song? Hermione heard drums. Thump thump thump. No, more like, clomp clomp, pause, clomp. Then she realized. They weren't drums! They were footsteps! Someone was following her.

Oh crap, someone was following her! Someone heard the whistling, the humming—the SINGING! The loud, off-key singing as Hermione belted out words she wasn't quite sure were even in the song! She walked faster, finally reaching the stairs to her destination.

She quickly bounded up them, and into the open Astronomy tower.

---

She was easy to find. All he had to do was follow the singing, which was so loud that it seemed to come from every nook and cranny of every wall. Oh yeah, no problem.

He finally arrived at the stairs. He could hear Granger running up them. He followed suite. He came to the door in time to see Hermione Granger standing on the railing and then, pulling herself onto the roof.

**Psycho! I wouldn't even try that! **But Malfoy had to. If Granger found out he didn't have enough nerve to do it she would know exactly where to go so he couldn't bother her. And that wouldn't be good.

He slowly climbed up onto the railing and turned himself around. He found two grips in the stone above him that Granger must have used. He held to them for life, and slowly pushed himself up.

---

"Ooof!"

"Go away, Malfoy." Hermione didn't even have to turn around to know it was him.

"No such luck, Granger." Draco walked over to where she was and sat down next to her. He had never realized this tower's roof was flat!

"What do I have to do to get you to go away?" she asked him, finally turning her head to meet his gaze.

"Kiss me!" he said wistfully. She knew he was joking.

"You'll be up here for awhile then, Malfoy, if you're going to wait on that."

"Good, more time to bother you, eh?"

"Joy." Hermione took another drag off her cigarette, and exhaled the fumes elegantly.

Wait a minute. Not right. See Granger. See Granger smoke. Smoke, Granger, smoke. "How is this possible?" he asked out loud.

"If you mean the cig, I started shortly after school got out."

"You can't smoke! Put that out!" Draco cried out.

"What's the matter, Malfoy? Does this ruin your outlook on me? Did the perfect Granger and her perfect world bubble just burst before your eyes?"

Draco ignored her sarcasm. "You know, smoking is a bad habit. A _Black _habit, one might say." He glanced out of the corner of his eye to see if this statement had any affect on her. It didn't.

"Sure, why not?" Hermione took one last drag before dropping the cigarette and grinding it with her foot.

"Is that why you started? Because your beloved Black died? I know that's why you started."

Again, Hermione replied, "Sure, why not?"

Malfoy could have some fun with this.

"Are you having relations with Potter?"

"Sure, why not?"

"And Weasley?"

"Sure, why not?"

"What do you say to a steaming hot orgy with Crabbe, Goyle, and Millicent Bulstrode?"

"Sure, why not?"

Draco asked a number of questions before this game got old. "This is boring now. Can I bum a smoke?"

Instead of replying, Hermione sighed and fished in her purse for her pack of cigarettes.

"Got a light?" he asked, his words slightly slurred with the cigarette in his mouth.

Hermione took out her lighter.

"What's _that_?" Draco inquired, pointing to the lighter.

"It's a lighter, jumbuck. Used for lighting things on fire? Bloody hell Malfoy, didn't you take Muggle Studies?"

"Why can't you just use your wand?"

Hermione snorted. "If you want to use something as powerful as that to light a cigarette, be my guest, ferret. Frankly I'd like to see what would happen."

"What was that you just called me?"

"Fer-ret." Hermione said slowly, emphasizing each syllable. "Don't you remember fourth year?"

Draco scowled. "I didn't mean that. I meant that buck thing. What's it mean?" He asked suspiciously.

"Jumbuck. And I'm not telling."

"Why not? I want to know what it means!"

"Well that's just too bad for you, isn't Malfoy?"

Malfoy let something like a low growl emit from his throat before sighing. "Can I ask you something?"

Hermione cocked her head to one side, as if contemplating the question; her brows were furrowed as if deep in thought. "Umm…no." And with that she got up and slid down into the room below them, leaving a frustrated Draco Malfoy on the roof, too afraid to try to get down.

---

**Too many questions; enter retreat mode. **Hermione's brain commanded. Her body did what it was told and gracefully slid off the roof to the room below it.

**That was strange. He was being somewhat…friendly…** Hermione shuddered so hard she nearly fell head first down the steps.

Hermione didn't like questions. Questions could be dangerous. Sure it started as 'Can I bum a smoke?' but even questions as simple as that can lead to more questions like 'Why are you here?' and 'How did your parents die?' And questions like that were forbidden. No one could know.

---

Draco finally built up enough nerve to try and get off the roof. He was successful. Granger didn't want him to know something. **Big revelation, there's tons of stuff girls don't want boys to know.**

Malfoy made his way to the library, the next probable place to find Granger. He didn't know why, but he really felt like bugging her today. He was in luck.

Hidden at the back table in the corner of the library sat Hermione, hunched over a book, her nose about two inches from the surface.

"Hey mudblood."

"What, ferret?"

"What's a jumbuck?"

Hermione sighed and pushed her book away. "Get to the point and tell me why you're here, because I know that's not the reason."

Malfoy sat down across from her. "Why are you at Hogwarts early?"

"Why are _you_ at Hogwarts early?" she repeated.

Malfoy's jaw set and his eyes went cold. "My business is none of yours, _mudblood_." He hissed.

Hermione smirked. "My business is none of yours, _ferret_."

"Stop that!"

"Stop what, jumbuck?"

"Stop repeating me!" Malfoy insisted.

"_You _stop repeating _me_."

"Enough."

"Enough." Hermione mimicked.

"Cut it out, why are you here?"

Hermione stood and entered one of the aisles, searching for a book. "It was here, or the Order Headquarters."

Malfoy followed her. "So why didn't you go spend the summer with your little friends?"

"You're insanely nosy, has anyone ever told you that, ferret?" Hermione sighed, pulling a book off the shelf and started flipping through the pages.

"I know. Answer me."

"I don't have to."

"C'mon."

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Hermione cried exasperatedly. "Why do you need to know why I chose the school over my best friends, even when I knew _you_ were here?"

"You—you knew I was here?"

"Dumbledore sent his warnings." She replied coolly.

"So why _did _you pick me over them?"

Hermione looked up from the book "Because, Malfoy, I didn't want people asking me questions. I figured if I came here, you tease and annoy the hell out of me, but you don't give a damn about me so you wouldn't care why I was here; all you would care about was having someone to torture all summer. I guess I figured wrong." Hermione shoved _Muggle Slang Dictionary_ into his hands and he glanced down at the page.

"Jumbuck." He muttered, and then called to Hermione's retreating figure, offence in his tone, "I'm not a sheep!"

---

**So she can't go out tonight again  
Her sister's sick, she's gotta baby-sit  
Yeah, that sounds like a pretty good excuse  
Now you didn't hear any of this from me  
But things aren't always what they seem  
Brace yourself, this may come as a shock to you**

Hermione sang. In her head this time. She _loved_ this song. Guys just didn't seem to understand that…

**Girls lie, too  
We don't care how much money you make  
What you drive or what you weigh  
Size don't matter anyway  
Girls lie, too  
Don't think you're the only ones  
Who bend it, break it, stretch it some  
We learn from you  
Girls lie, too**

**We can't wait to hear about your round of golf  
We love to see deer heads hanging on the wall  
And we like Hooter's for their hot wings too  
Other guys never cross our minds  
We don't wonder what it might be like  
How could it be any better than it is with you**

Hermione wished she had her guitar with her at Hogwarts. She loved to play. She could play virtually any muggle song, and could sing almost all of them perfectly.

**Yeah, girls lie, too  
We always forgive and forget  
The cards and flowers you never sent  
Will never be brought up again  
Girls lie, too  
Old gray sweatpants turn us on  
We like your friends and we love your mom  
And that's the truth  
Girls lie, too  
Yeah that's the truth  
Girls lie, too**

**No, we don't care how much hair you have  
Yeah, that looks good  
Comb it over like that**

Hermione's favorite part, the end. She spoke the last verse out loud, and then proceeded to growl.

"What the--!"

"Malfoy!" Hermione spun around and glared at him.

"What the bloody hell was _that_?!?"

"Go away. I was singing."

"No, Granger. I heard your singing, remember? And that unholy sound right there _wasn't _singing."

"Go. Away. Malfoy."

"Don't you love me anymore?" He asked in a small voice, feigning sadness.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to walk away.

She hadn't moved two steps before she felt his hand gripping her wrist tightly.

"Let go." She demanded.

"Turn around."

"I said _let go_." Hermione tried to rip her wrist free.

"And I said turn around." Malfoy hissed in her ear, forcing her around. "Don't walk away when I'm talking to you."

"I'm sorry I've disrespected you, your _highness._" Hermione apologized, bowing in mockery.

"You had _better _learn some respect; next time you pull something like that I might not be in such a good mood."

"You want respect from me, Malfoy? Well, you'll get it then! Do me one small favor though, and hold your breath until it happens." Hermione ripped her wrist from Malfoy's slackened grip and turned.

"Wench!"

"Brat." She retorted.

"Mudblood!" At this Hermione turned.

"You want to insult me, Malfoy? You really wanna make me feel like shit? Call me a pureblood next time." And, not responding to any more of his comments, Hermione turned and walked away.

---

She sat there on her bed, contemplating the consequences of her recent, _foolish_, actions. Things could happen. Bad, bad things. Dumbledore could get very upset. He didn't want this sort of stuff at Hogwarts! Yes, Dumbledore might get so mad he would throw her out of school...or not. She might have opened a porthole to hell for all she knew.

"To hell with it." She finally spoke, releasing her stare and scooping her recently conjured guitar into her arms. Bliss filled Hermione Granger as she strummed the first notes.

"Now, what to play?" she thought out loud. Goodness it was stuffy in her room!

Hermione walked over and opened up her window, letting a cool breeze in. She would have been more comfortable up in the Astronomy Tower, but Malfoy couldn't get her here.

Hermione sat by the window, strumming her guitar, deciding on one of her favorites.

**Grew up in a small town,  
And when the rain would fall down,  
I'd just stare out my window.  
Dreaming of what could be,  
And if I'd end up happy,  
I would pray.  
  
Try not to reach out,  
But when I tried to speak out,  
Felt like no-one could hear me.  
Wanted to belong here,  
But something felt so wrong here.  
So I'd pray,  
I could break away.**

Hermione let the music fill her entire being, drowning in the beat of the non-existent drums and bass.

**I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly,  
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky,  
And I'll make a wish, take a chance,  
Make a change, and break away.  
Out of the darkness and into the sun,  
But I won't forget all the ones that I love.  
I'll take a risk, take a chance,  
Make a change, and break away.**

**Wanna feel the warm breeze,  
Sleep under a palm tree,  
Feel the rush of the ocean,  
Get onboard a fast train,  
Travel on a jetplane,  
Faraway, and break away.  
  
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly,  
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky,  
And I'll make a wish, take a chance,  
Make a change, and break away.  
Out of the darkness and into the sun,  
I won't forget all the ones that I love.  
I've gotta take a risk, take a chance,  
Make a change, and break away.**

**Buildings with a 100 floors,  
Swinging and revolving doors,  
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me.  
But I gotta keep moving on moving on,  
Fly away, break away.  
  
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly,  
Though its not easy to tell you goodbye.  
Gotta take a risk, take a chance,  
Make a change, and break away.  
Out of the darkness and into the sun,  
But I won't forget the place I come from.  
I've gotta take a risk, take a chance,  
Make a change, and break away.  
  
Break away, break away**

She finished, leaning back against the sill and sighing wistfully.

---

Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Xavier Darnel were making music of their own.

Far ahead of Hermione, they had their instruments as well as an amplifier and speakers. All of the electronics were enough to make Hermione want to burn Hogwarts, A History for lying to her.

On the contrary, Malfoy, for once in his life, had been a bit cleverer than Hermione and found a spell, making the instruments work without electricity.

Yes, they had a nameless band. Mind you, it wasn't some pitiful "boy band" coughNSYNCcough!

And, with Malfoy as lead singer (naturally), Blaise on the bass and Xavier on the drums they sound pretty unbelievable.

Draco gave the signal and Xave started up the beat, him and Blaise closely following on guitar. Soon they were singing the meaningful lyrics Draco had recently written.

**Memories consume  
Like opening the wound  
I'm picking me apart again  
You all assume  
I'm safe here in my room  
Unless I try to start again  
  
I don't want to be the one  
The battles always choose  
Cuz inside I realize  
That I'm the one confused  
  
I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
I don't know why I instigate  
And say what I don't mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I know it's not alright  
So I'm breaking the habit  
I'm breaking the habit tonight**

Hermione heard them. Long finished with her own song, she had wandered downstairs in hopes of finding the house elves in their usual giving mood.

**Clutching my cure  
I tightly lock the door  
I try to catch my breath again  
I hurt much more  
Than anytime before  
I have no options left again**

She curiously opened the door to the Great Hall, finding more a concert stage than an eating place. Intrigued, she stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

**I don't want to be the one  
The battles always choose  
Cuz inside I realize  
That I'm the one confused  
  
I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
I don't know why I instigate  
And say what I don't mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I'll never be alright  
So, I'm breaking the habit  
I'm breaking the habit tonight**

And scarily enough, Hermione understood the lyrics she heard. She wondered then, if Malfoy had been the one to write the words he was currently singing.

His song made perfect sense; it had to be about himself.

**I'll paint it on the walls  
Cuz I'm the one that falls  
I'll never fight again  
and this is how it ends**

Draco saw her standing there, as did Blaise. Xavier was somewhat caught up in his own world, as he always was whiling playing, and to him the new arrival went unnoticed. Head full of black hair thrashing, he continued to drum.

**I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
But now I have some clarity  
to show you what I mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I'll never be alright  
So, I'm breaking the habit  
I'm breaking the habit  
I'm Breaking the habit tonight**

Malfoy finished off the last word and the music died, leaving Hermione gaping, absolutely stunned.

"What do you want?" Draco called to her, a bit rudely.

"When did you start a band?" Hermione asked, trying to hide the amusement in her voice.

"What does it matter?" Xavier asked curtly.

"Ever thought about a fourth?" Hermione asked. "Add a girl to the group?"

"Like we'd let _you _join." Malfoy snorted Blaise laughed.

"Now hold up a bit." Xavier silenced them, then turned to Hermione. "You interested?"

"Xave, she's a Gryffindor." Draco pointed out.

"And I'm a Catholic, big deal." Darnel retorted.

Blaise stood, unresolved for a moment then nodded, jumping down from the stage followed by Xave. "Let's see what ya got."

Hermione made her way up to the stage and walked over to Malfoy, who was still helplessly clutching the microphone.

"Ahem…" Hermione made a fake cough, implying Draco move.

With defeat written across every feature, Malfoy sighed and dropped to the ground next to his buddies.

Hermione picked up the guitar and strummed it, checking the tune. "What do you want?" she asked. "Rock, ?"

"Anything. Play anything."

Hermione took out her wand and waved it, commanding it with her mind to produce the affect of drums and bass guitar for the song she wanted. It worked.

**How many times have you told me you love her  
As many times as I've wanted to tell you the truth  
How long have I stood here beside you  
I live through you  
You looked through me**

**Ooh, Solitude,  
Still with me is only you  
Ooh, Solitude,  
I can't stay away from you  
  
How many times have I done this to myself  
How long will it take before I see  
When will this hole in my heart be mended  
Who now is left alone but me**

Xave leaned over to Malfoy. "Sad, depressing…I like her style."

Blaise leaned over from the other side of Malfoy and noted, "She's got a perfect voice, the perfect image…"

Malfoy just huffed and rolled his eyes, though, he couldn't honestly say he didn't agree with them.

**Ooh, Solitude,  
Forever me and forever you  
Ooh, Solitude,  
Only you, only true  
  
Everyone leave me stranded  
Forgotten, abandoned, left behind  
I can't stay here another night  
  
Your secret admirer  
Who could it be  
  
Ooh, Can't you see  
All along it was me  
How can you be so blind  
As to see right through me**

Hermione poured herself into her song, singing with as much soul as she could muster. For some reason she felt the unexplainable urge to prove to Malfoy that she was talented. For some reason, she _needed _to be in this band.

**And Ooh, Solitude,  
Still with me is only you  
Ooh, Solitude,  
I can't stay away from you  
  
Ooh, Solitude,  
Forever me and forever you  
Ooh, Solitude,  
Only you, only true**

She finished and silence rang out through the Great Hall. She had done to them exactly what they had done to her: speechless.

"So?" She finally broke the silence.

"So, what? This isn't an audition, we don't need anofer memmmer." Draco's muffled voice sounded from under Xavier's hand, who had promptly placed it there.

"Yes we do." He said quickly. "Don't mind Malfoy, he's an ass."

"O I'm ot!"

Blaise swiftly elbowed Draco.

"If he doesn't want me then I'll leave. I'd rather not waste my time."

"You're not! And he does, he's just too pompous to admit it. Isn't that right Draco?" Xavier added menace to his last words.

Malfoy sighed and nodded. "We want you." He admitted after his face had been released.

"If you're sure…" Hermione offered them another chance to back out.

"We are." Blaise and Xave chorused in a way that made Hermione think of Fred and George immediately.

A pang of something hit her hard. She couldn't tell if she missed them, or was afraid of what Harry and Ron would do when the found out that she had just made somewhat of an alliance with their worst enemy.

Either way, Hermione feared seeing them again.

An alliance was made, and there was no going back now.

---

Well that's part one…whatcha think?

To continue or not to continue, that is most defiantly the question. Major AU huh? Haha, Mione' as a goth…niiice….

Sorry if I offended any Catholics, I really didn't mean anything by it, I'm not biased at all, I was just trying to think of a way for Xavier to make his point and that's the first example that popped into my head.

Well that's that then, all 18 and ½ pages…review please, I'd **LOVE **to know what you all think!


	2. Squeak Squeak, Quack Quack

"You went flat again."

Blaise and Xavier groaned.

"No I didn't!" Hermione protested.

"Yes, you did." Malfoy insisted.

Hermione sighed. "Fine, whatever! I went flat, big deal. Let's start over."

"Let's just do a different song." Blaise suggested.

"Yeah, I don't like playing the same song five times in a row."

"Six." Corrected Malfoy and Blaise together.

"And just do it." Malfoy commanded.

Xave sighed and did as he was told.

**Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me  
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free  
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you  
And at sweet night, you are my own  
Take my hand  
  
We're leaving here tonight  
There's no need to tell anyone  
They'd only hold us down  
So by the morning's light  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
Where love is more than just your name  
  
I have dreamt of a place for you and I  
No one knows who we are there  
All I want is to give my life only to you  
I've dreamt so long I cannot dream anymore  
Let's run away, I'll take you there  
  
We're leaving here tonight  
There's no need to tell anyone  
They'd only hold us down  
So by the morning's light  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
Where no one needs a reason**

This was the part, the part that Malfoy kept insisting she went flat on.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him glance over to her. **Probably predicting I'll screw up again…**

**Forget this life  
Come with me  
Don't look back you're safe now  
Unlock your heart  
Drop your guard  
No one's left to stop you  
Forget this life  
Come with me  
Don't look back you're safe now  
Unlock your heart  
Drop your guard  
No one's left to stop you now**

Hermione whipped her head around to meet his eyes, gaining a nod of approval from him.

As much as they still detested each other, their voices fit perfectly together.

**We're leaving here tonight  
There's no need to tell anyone  
They'd only hold us down  
So by the morning light  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
Where love is more than just your name **

They finished the song and Malfoy muttered a "good job" and turned away.

Hermione never told them these were muggle songs she was teaching them. They would NEVER agree to play them if they knew; they meaning Malfoy.

Hermione stretched her arms and yawned. "Are we done for the night then? I want to go out before bed." Out meaning: I need a cigarette once a day and I'll damned if you're going to make me miss it.

---

Hermione took a long drag of her cigarette and exhaled slowly, savoring the bitter taste of the nicotine in her mouth.

She heard rustling behind her: someone was coming up.

Figuring it was Malfoy she ignored it. It wasn't Malfoy.

"Care for company?" Hermione looked up, startled to here Xavier's voice.

Hermione just shrugged, pulling out a cigarette and offering it to him.

"No thanks, never really did like them." He denied. "Brought some rum though." At this Xave pulled out a silver flask and sipped from it, much resembling the paranoid Moody.

Hermione gave this thought a half smile, and accepted the flask, taking a small sip.

"No need to be stingy, it's got a refilling potion." Xavier pointed out.

Hermione considered this, then took a bigger gulp.

"You did excellent down there. Don't mind Malfoy, he's just sore because you can sing higher than him."

Hermione chuckled at this statement, realizing sadly that that could be a legitimate possibility. "Thanks."

"You ever take singing lessons?" Xavier asked, leaning back on his elbows and gazing up at the sky.

"Nope." Hermione answered promptly. "Well, I had music class at my muggle school, but that was years ago."

"You had a whole class dedicated to _music_?" Xave asked in amazement.

"Heh, yup."

"Tell me something." Xavier said suddenly, passing the flask back to Hermione.

"What?"

"Tell me something about you."

"Okay…well my favorite color—"

"Not that stuff. Tell me something else. Something no one else knows."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm." Was all she said.

A stretch of silence passed between them in which both Xave and Hermione stared up at the stars. Finally Hermione spoke.

"Sometimes…" she started slowly. "Sometimes I think it's just not worth it."

"What?" he inquired further.

"Fighting, I mean. Sometimes I feel like Harry is in way over his head and that no matter what he does Voldemort will win."

Xavier sat up at this. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"And, promise you won't tell anyone?" Xave nodded. "Sometimes I want him to. Win, I mean. Beat Harry. Sometimes I want him to prevail, so that every muggle, witch and wizard; mudblood and halfblood and pureblood alike can have a taste of the pain I feel all the time." Hermione spoke quickly, freezing when all the words had escaped her open mouth.

Xavier Darnel was speechless. "I…that's…woah…"

"I…I never…I mean I always thought…but I've never…never actually said it…" she spoke slowly, as if gradually coming out of a daze.

"It's okay to think that you know…because that's probably what's going to happen." Xavier said quietly.

"I know." She breathed.

"On a lighter note, I think it's pretty cool that you and Malfoy are getting along."

Hermione huffed. "We're not _getting along_. It's called tolerance, and I'm about out of it."

"Again, I say forget Malfoy. He doesn't quite see you as an equal, you know? He's still hung up on the houses."

"And the blood…" Hermione added.

"Yes, and that, as incredibly stupid as it may be."

"Are you schizophrenic?" Hermione asked abruptly.

"What?!" Xave shot up into the sitting position.

"I mean one minute you're like a psycho evil Slytherin, and the next you're up here, being like…my friend."

Xavier shrugged. "I dunno. I have to admit, I _am _somewhat two-faced."

"Not the best quality to have…" Hermione mentioned.

"Slytherin." Xave reminded her. "Can't I be your friend?"

"I suppose…going to have to be, huh? With the band and all…"

"Blaise is really nice for a Slytherin, but if that's the excuse you're going to use then I have to warn you, it includes Malfoy too."

Hermione sighed. "I know. I suppose we've already got somewhat of an alliance. We'll have to talk about it later…but I need to get to bed, I'm completely exhausted. Thanks for the rum…and thanks, for the talk."

"No problem. See ya in the morning."

Hermione nodded her goodbye to Xavier, sliding over to the edge of the roof and swinging into the tower below.

She stopped for a moment, contemplating everything that had just happened.

**I just made friends with a Slytherin…**

Vaguely cold, Hermione continued down the stairs and headed for the Gryffindor tower, a slight smile pasted on her face.

---

"Can't you just forget about it? What's it really matter anyways?" Blaise questioned.

"You don't get it. I can't just _forget _it…it's the way I was raised!" Malfoy raised his voice again..

"She's an excellent singer." Blaise said.

"Yeah."

"And despite what she was before, she can be bloody sexy."

"I know. I know all of this Zab! I just…I can't change my entire outlook on _everything _in five minutes! You have to give me time to get used to having her around."

"You see her every bloody day! One would think that would be time enough!" Blaise was exhausted, they had been arguing for the past hour, starting with Blaise comment on how unfair he was being to Hermione.

"One would think…" Malfoy muttered, resuming his pacing.

"I don't see how you can't just accept her Malfoy! Just let everything go! Like it or not, you're going to be seeing a lot more of her now."

Malfoy sighed.

"We need her!" Blaise continued. "We need her to sing for us, she's amazing! What we _don't _need is you pissing off our chance to win!"

Malfoy sighed again. "I know!" he said exasperatedly.

"Do you want to win? I mean do you really want the money--"

"I do." Malfoy protested.

"—because you're not acting like you want it—"

"I want it!" Draco shouted. "I need it! I'm not like you Zab, my parents don't support every decision I make. I don't have anything. _Anything_."

"Then don't piss her off!"

"What am I supposed to do?" Malfoy questioned.

"Talk to her. Become her friend. It can't hurt you at all, you know that. She's going to help us win the money Malfoy. Your parents find out and you can kiss your bloody Gringotts account _goodbye_."

"They will find out. They have to, eventually."

"Then go talk to her. She said she was going out, go to the Astronomy Tower."

Malfoy contemplated all this, then, sighing, nodded and left silently.

---

He walked the stairs up the tower, wondering what he would say to her.

"I think, with you in the band and everything, that we should at least _try _to be friends…" he practiced.

Malfoy froze in mid-step. "That sounds so bloody corny I think I'm going to hurl." He spoke out loud.

He finally reached the top, but stopped as he walked over to the railing.

He heard voices.

"…be your friend?" it was Xavier.

Granger answered him. "I suppose…going to have to be, huh? With the band and all…"

"Blaise is really nice for a Slytherin, but if that's the excuse you're going to use then I have to warn you, it includes Malfoy too."

**Why are Xave and Granger talking? **Malfoy wondered.

I suppose we've already got somewhat of an alliance. We'll have to talk about it later…but I need to get to bed, I'm completely exhausted. Thanks for the rum…and thanks, for the talk."

**Heh, Darnel gave Granger rum…**Malfoy thought, amused. **Hey! That's my rum!**

Hermione was shuffling over to the edge of the roof. Malfoy quickly exited the tower and headed for the Slytherin common rooms.

**Tomorrow…we'll talk tomorrow. **Malfoy was suddenly reminded of a Shakespeare play he had read once. **Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…**

---

Xavier whistled as he entered the Slytherin common room, catching sight of only Blaise. "Mission accomplished."

"Same; took quite some time though." Blaise replied.

"Where's Malfoy?"

"He came in about twenty minutes ago. Went straight to bed. Kept muttering something…what was it? 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' or something…"

"Hmm." Xave thought for a moment. "Well our chances of winning the contest are considerably higher now."

"Yeah, and with Hermione, we're a shoe in for it. Great voice and a great body to boot. We were damn lucky to stumble upon her."

"Yeah we were." Xave slumped into a comfort chair next to the fire.

"How'd it go with Granger, was she easy to convince?"

"Pretty much. Thinks I'm schizophrenic now, but I believe it was worth it…"

Blaise didn't understand, and was bloody glad of it.

---

**Sun's up**

**It's a little after twelve  
Make breakfast for myself  
Leave the work for someone else  
People say  
They say that it's just a phase  
They tell me to act my age,  
Well I am**

Hermione imitated Hoku while picking out her outfit for the day.

She finally decided on dark blue jeans, a white tube top and a navy blue over shirt.

**On this perfect day,  
Nothing's standing in my way  
  
On this perfect day,  
When nothing can go wrong  
  
It's the perfect day,  
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon  
I could stay, forever as I am  
  
On this perfect day**

Hermione crimped her hair and put on her make-up.

**Sun's down  
A little after ten  
I pick up all my friends  
In my Mercedes-Benz  
  
Wake up  
Don't tell me it's just a dream  
'Cause when I've had enough  
You'll hear me say,  
Now don't you try to rain on my  
  
Perfect day,  
Nothing's standing in my way  
  
On this perfect day,  
Nothing can go wrong  
  
It's the perfect day,  
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon  
I could stay, forever as I am  
On this perfect day  
  
La la la  
La la la,  
Oh, oh**

She kept singing as she made her way down to the kitchen for a late breakfast.

**I'm in the race  
But I've already won  
(La la la)  
And getting there can  
Be half the fun  
(La la la)  
So don't stop me  
Till I'm good and done,  
Don't you try to rain on my  
  
Perfect day  
It's the perfect day  
  
It's the perfect day  
Nothing's gonna bring me down  
I could stay, forev—**

"Granger!" Malfoy called to Hermione down the hall.

Hermione spun around. "Yeah?"

"Headed to breakfast?" he asked.

**Odd…** "Yeah, wanna join me?"

Malfoy quickened his pace until he met up with Hermione. "Yeah, I'm starving. Slept in." he explained.

"Same here."

So Hermione continued to the kitchens, Malfoy following.

"Listen," he said abruptly. "I think we should try to…" he paused. "…get along. You know, like…" he grimaced. "…be friends?"

Hermione smirked. "Why Draco are you asking little old mudblood me to be your equal?"

Grimace. "Yeah…" he said slowly. "For Blaise and Xave's sake, I think they're about ready to kill us."

"I suppose…if it's for Blaise and Xavier then…yeah, I guess I could try a little harder to stand you." She continued walking.

"Thanks…hey!" Malfoy ran again to catch up with her.

"Yes?"

"What are you implying?!" he accused.

"Why whatever do you mean?"

"Are you suggesting that I'm hard to stand?" he asked.

"Are you suggesting that you're not?" she questioned back.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes to slits. "Well…no, but you shouldn't have said it out loud!"

"Okay. Next time I'll insult you in my head." Hermione continued to walk. "I'm skipping breakfast, I want to sing."

---

"Good job, Xave. Nice bass, Blaise. Try to keep up next time, Malfoy."

Malfoy glared at Hermione. "Let's run through it again."

"Fine." Hermione sighed.

**I tried to kill the pain  
but only brought more  
I lay dying  
and I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal  
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming  
Am I too lost to be saved  
Am I too lost?  
  
My God My Tourniquet  
Return to me Salvation  
My God my Tourniquet  
Return to me Salvation**

Hermione's favorite song.

**Do you remember me  
Lost for so long  
Will you be on the other side  
or will you forget me  
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming  
Am I too lost to be saved  
Am I too lost?**

Perhaps she was too lost. Maybe no one could save her now. Not Harry, nor Dumbledore, nor herself.

**My God My Tourniquet  
Return to me Salvation  
My God my Tourniquet  
Return to me Salvation  
  
My wounds cry for the grave  
My soul cries for Deliverance  
Will I be Denied Christ  
Tourniquet  
My Suicide **

"Great. That was great guys."

"Sing us something." Blaise requested.

Hermione smiled. "Okay."

The three boys hopped from the stage and sat at a table, waiting for Hermione to start.

"I wrote this one." She informed them. She waved her wand, and music played.

**Can you see me now?  
Can you see me now?**

**Can you see…?**

Hermione started, urging her voice to go as high as it would allow.

**All this weeping in the air  
Who can tell where it will fall?  
Through floating forests in the air  
'Cross the rolling open sea  
  
Blow a kiss, I run through air  
Leave the past, find nowhere  
Floating forests in the air  
Clowns all around you**

Hermione HATED clowns. Creepy painted clowns scared the crap out of her. But somehow she was able to write this song.

**Clowns that only let you know  
Where you let your senses go  
Clowns all around you  
It's a cross I need to bear  
  
All this black and cruel despair  
This is an emergency  
Don't you hide your eyes from me  
Open them and see me now  
  
Can you see me now?  
Can you see me now?**

The boys looked amazed at how high she was singing, obvious wonder on their faces as to how she could sing that high and still have perfect pitch.

**Can you see?  
Can you see?  
See me here in the air  
Not holding on to anywhere  
But holding on so beware  
I have secrets I won't share**

**See me here pushing you  
If I then deny I do  
Contemplate or wish away  
If I ask you not to stay  
  
Clowns that only let you know  
Where you let your senses go  
Clowns all around you  
It's a cross I need to bear  
  
All this black and cruel despair  
This is an emergency  
Don't you hide your eyes from me  
Open them and see me now**

Hermione finished leaving the three Slytherins, once again in complete and utter astonishment.

Hermione just stood up there, waiting for them to say something. "So?"

"Good—good, great. That was great." Malfoy stammered.

Hermione smirked (she seemed to be doing that a lot lately…).

"I'm going for a walk. See ya later."

---

Hermione strolled around the lake for the fourth time, finally plopping down on a rock. Everything was happening so fast.

Hermione couldn't believe she was now friends with 3 Slytherins that she was in a band with. She also couldn't believe that she had told Xavier Darnel her most inward thoughts without hesitation.

He agreed with her. He thought it was going to happen too. And what if it did? What if Harry did fail?

Hermione took off her shoes and socks and slid her feet into the icy waters of the lake. **I don't know what I'm doing lately...**she thought. **How could I have let this all happen? How could I let them...why did I have to leave??? **Hermione began the brutal mind-torture.

**I should have stayed put...I was just so..._mad_. **Hermione sighed as a single tear fell down her cheek. **How could I have left them? I knew the risks...**

Another tear slid off her face as she remembered her dead parents.

Draco was coming. How did she know it was Malfoy? There was only three other students at the school, and only one of them can saunter in a way that is elegant and pompous all at the same time. Draco Malfoy.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, approaching her.

Hermione scrubbed at her face quickly, trying to eliminate every sign that she had been crying but in fact, only making her eyes more red and puffy.

"Don't try to hide it. Something's wrong." Malfoy sat down next to her, keeping his gaze on the murky waters and the giant squid tentecles now flailing about them.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

Draco sighed. "Swooning over me _again_?"

"You caught me."

"Knew it."

"At least I swoon over my worst enemy in private, instead of obviously checking him out in public."

"Touché." Malfoy smirked.

**Oh how I hate that smirk...**Hermione thought. **Hate the way he can make those innocent lips look so thoughtful and smug at the same time. ...Asshole.**

"There you go again, staring outright at me."

"I don't stare outright at you!" **I do it inwardly...**Hermione thought.

Malfoy did a double take. "What?!"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Did I just say that out loud?!?"

"You bloody well did and I hope to Merlin it's not true!"

"Heh, of course not..."

"So _what _were you thinking about that was making you cry then, if it wasn't me?"

"My..." Hermione hesitated. She just blabbed to Xave the previous night about how oh-so-confident she was in Harry, should she really open her mouth to Malfoy too?

**I don't care...**she thought. **I need to talk...**

"My parents. They're the reason that I'm here. They--they're dead."

Malfoy lowered his head, suddenly interested in his feet. "Oh..."

Another tear slid down Hermione's cheek and Malfoy looked up. "Don't cry." it was almost a command. "I can't stand it when girls cry."

"What do you care, I'm just a mudblood."

"As true as that may be, you're still a girl." Malfoy knew he had just made matters worse. Time to change the subject.

"How did it happen?"

"We...we got in a fight."

"And you..." Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"Bloody hell no! God Malfoy, you think I'm some kind of homicidal freak?"

"A freak yes but--"

"I left. I got pissed off and I went out with my friends." she interrupted.

Draco remained silent, waiting for her to continue. "And?" he asked.

"And I came home and they were dead, okay?!" she blew up at him, standing immediately and took off towards the school.

**_Whoops..._**Malfoy thought.

---

**That's it. No more. **Hermione thought angrily. **No more opening up to people. **She swung the doors to her precious sanctuary open and stopped, breathing in the deep musty scent of ancient books.

**Stupid stupid stupid Hermione! Very stupid! Bad bad girl, never ever again, never again!**

Hermione walked over to an aisle and picked a random book off a random shelf and sat down at the corner table, hidden from everything.

She opened up to a random page and began to read.

'_So there I was, one werewolf to the left of me, one to the right, cornered in the cemetery with a mummy loose._' Hermione closed the book and looked at the cover.

"Lockhart..." she muttered, pushing it away and staring at a random point on a random wall. Until Malfoy blocked her view.

"Move..." she muttered."Can't see..."

"Can't see what?" he questioned.

"Wall...move."

"I'm sorry."

Hermione broke from her stupor and look at Malfoy in pure amazement. "What?"

"I'm sorry if I upset you back there. I can be kind of insensitive sometimes."

Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes.

"I'd like to hear what happened, if you feel like talking about it."

"I already told you. I came home and they were dead."

"But how?"

"I wasn't drunk. Just buzzed. Not drunk. I understood everything too much for me to be drunk."

"What?"

"I was a couple blocks away when I saw it. Hovering at some random point in the sky. I knew that it could be anyone's home. But I knew...It registered too quickly for me to be drunk. I knew what I would find when I got there."

"The dark mark?"

Hermione nodded. "I went inside and they were there, in the living room, face down on the floor and I knew...I knew they had been begging whoever it was to spare them....or me."

"The Death Eaters." Draco muttered.

"I could have been drunk, thinking on it now, Because the second I saw their the dark mark I knew...I don't think I would have thought it having not been drunk. They were looking for me."

"Looking for--"

"Me." she finished with a sigh. "Obviously Voldemort's latest scheme to catch Harry. Capture the helpless mudblood and order him to duel, this time against him and his followers. And that's it. I'm the reason they're dead. That's all there is to it. It's my fault."

Malfoy sat in silence, racking his brain for something to say. A low guttural sound escaped his lips, but made no word.

"Huh?"

Draco cleared his throat. "No. It's not." he forced the words out. "It's not your fault they're dead."

"Had I been there--"

"--You would have witnessed it. And _that's _all there is to it. They would have died no matter where you had been. At least you didn't see it."

Hermione stared at Malfoy. "I...You don't..." she was breathing heavily, for no obvious reason. She could no longer form words either. "You don't understand! At least I could have told them! At least I could have said goodbye!"

"You had a chance to do that at the funeral you didn't go to. And what exactly would you have said?"

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if I had said 'I love you' or 'pass the ketchup'! At least my last words to them wouldn't have been filled with such malace and hate!"

"That's not the point! Don't you get it? It would be ten times harder for you right now if you had been there, you could be dead!"

"And what would you care?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I asked you a question, Malfoy. I want an answer! What would you care?"

"I would! Okay? I would care, because despite how much I may despise someone no one, _no one _deserves death like that."

Somewhere along the line they had both stood up and walked around the table. And now they stood face to face, panting with anger, faces flushed from a rage that had taken both of them by surprise.

Something struck Hermione, and she instantly straightened. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she crumpled to the floor, silent tears spilling down her cheeks.

Malfoy crouched next to her, close enough for comfort but far away enough that they might not do anything stupid.

Hesitating a little, Malfoy put his hand on her shoulder and leaned towards her.

-The big kiss!-

"Let it out. Let it completely go. You've tried and convicted yourself and now you know. You're not guilty." he whispered.

-Fooled ya!-

Hermione wiped her eyes and looked up at the boy she desperately needed to hate. "Thank you." she whispered.

He was making it awfully hard, wasn't he?

---

Malfoy sauntered down the hall, thinking back on what he had just done.

Was there a consequence? Oh yes, a big one, if his parents ever found out.

Did he care? Possibly not. **It was worth it...**he concluded.

He made Hermione feel better. He couldn't believe it, didn't think it possible, but he had laid aside everything he had ever been taught, every prejudice and every bitter feeling of resentment towards her little Golden Trio (which seemed to him to be rusting at a considerable rate) and comforted her.

He said comforting words and hugged her. And what was the result?

He didn't look dirty, didn't _feel _dirty. What had been the big deal about being her friend? He still wasn't, but what had been the big deal about being nice to her, and treating her with the respect she deserved? Why hadn't he held his tongue every time he have a biting comment that so obviously cut her to the bone?

Why did he torment her?

She didn't look dirty. And holding her in his arms, resulting in a tear-stained shirt didn't feel dirty. So why was it? What was the difference between her and himself (other than the whole gender thing)?

No. He was wrong. ...He was her friend.

---

Hermione sank into the bathtub brimming with hot water. **Bathtub? More like a swimming pool! **she thought. Oh how she _loved _her prefect privileges.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, breathing in the cinnamon-scented steam.

Malfoy just spent the better part of an hour comforting her.

**Well fancy that, comforting me!**

It had been very strange, the way she felt so natural when he took her into his arms and whispered comforting messages in her ear, rocking her back and forth until she quit sobbing uncontrollably.

Despite the scalding hot water, Hermione shuddered. "What did I just think?" she asked out loud, as if she were sitting in the common room with Ron and Harry and had lost track of the conversation.

**Did I just say natural? It had felt _natural _being in Malfoy's arms?!? I think not! If fact it was quite unpleasant, being wrapped in his strong arms and cradled like a baby. I didn't like it at all.**

**Then why do I wish I were still with him?** She asked herself.

"No, no Hermione! I'm vulnerable right now, him comforting me made me feel something _because I'm vulnerable_...I hate him. I hate him. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him I hate him I hate him!"

But say it all she wanted to, Hermione knew it wasn't true. She didn't want to have to admit it.

But Draco Malfoy was her friend.

---

A good week passed before Malfoy and Hermione had a real conversation after that.

They exchanged greetings and nodded their heads, but both refused to make eye contact, or stand next to each other. They didn't feel comfortable being too close together, and no matter how far apart they were, as long as each was in sight, there was always a slight tension in the air.

When Malfoy found Hermione, she was sitting on top of the Astronomy Tower, staring at the stars and, as he usually found her, singing to herself.

It was beautiful.

**Some people live for the fortune  
Some people live just for the fame  
Some people live for the power yeah  
Some people live just to play the game  
Some people think that the physical things  
Define what's within  
I've been there before  
But that life's a bore  
So full of the superficial  
  
Some people want it all  
But I don't want nothing at all  
If it ain't you baby  
If I ain't got you baby  
Some people want diamond rings  
Some just want everything  
But everything means nothing  
If I ain't got you**

It was sad, and gloomy; about whom he didn't know. All Malfoy did know was that Hermione was pouring her entire being into this song; all of her anger and sadness…and pain.

**Some people search for a fountain  
Promises forever young  
Some people need three dozen roses  
And that's the only way to prove you love them  
  
Handed the world on a silver platter  
And wondering what it means  
No one to share, no one who truly cares for me**

Malfoy sat down next to her, nodding his greeting, urging her on without the power of speech.

**Some people want it all  
But I don't want nothing at all  
If it ain't you baby  
If I ain't got you baby  
Some people want diamond rings  
Some just want everything  
But everything means nothing  
If I ain't got you  
  
Some people want it all  
But I don't want nothing at all  
If it ain't you baby  
If I ain't got you baby  
Some people want diamond rings  
Some just want everything  
But everything means nothing  
If I ain't got you**

Hermione continued to sing beautifully, gazing up at the stars, as if singing to the gods, hoping to please them.

**If I ain't got you with me baby  
Nothing in this whole wide world don't mean a thing  
If I ain't got you with me baby**

Hermione finished and the world was silent. A gentle wind blew around them and the trees of the forbidden forest bowed to her excellence.

"How…" Malfoy started softly. "How do you do it?"

Hermione tilted her head to one side. "Do what?"

"How do you…with the singing…you…and it's like…" Malfoy was ashamed, stammering about this. "You're amazing. The way you sing. You put everything in. I find it hard not to gaze at you in a stupor when I'm supposed to be singing."

Hermione gave him a weak smile. "You manage."

"Hardly." He breathed quickly. "Just barely."

Hermione broke into a full smile. "I know you're obsessed with me Malfoy, as it shows in your grades, but don't let it affect your music too."

"I try." He smiled back.

Pause. Rewind. –He smiled- that's the part we're looking for. –He smiled- as Bugs Bunny would say, "Screwy, ain't it?"

"You're amazing Granger. You really are. You…you make me want to be with you all the time. You drive me crazy, and I'm starting to love it."

Hermione looked over and locked gazes with Malfoy's cool grey eyes. She searched them, though she knew he could mask his emotions, and sensed no insincerity, and that scared her.

"I'm not special."

"On the contrary, Granger. You're quite unique. I can easily say I've never met anyone like you. Or anyone who can insult me so swiftly, as well as stand her ground against me."

"You're making yourself sound like an idiot again, Malfoy." Hermione informed him.

"Thanks for the warning."

"But you're wrong about that, just like you were wrong the other night."

"You're singing is amazing. _You're _amazing."

"No, I'm changed. You wouldn't have even heard my singing if I were still what I used to be."

"I don't know."

"You're loosing your touch Malfoy. My singing entrances you and you tell me I'm amazing."

"More than that entrances me…" he spoke softly. His hand made to brush away a piece of hair that had fallen in Hermione's face, but stopped itself quickly.

Hermione glanced at his hand, then stared back into his eyes, breaking contact only to blink. Eventually she looked back up to the stars, sighing slightly.

There was a stretch of silence that lasted an eternity. Then he spoke. "I don't know what you're doing to me…" he whispered.

"I do nothing. You're mind is playing games." She whispered back. She raised her hand and lightly touched the cheek she had slapped many a times. "You and me," she breathed the words, barely moving her lips. "we were never meant to be together. There can never be anything between us."

Malfoy considered this then replied. "There's friendship."

Hermione gave him another half smile. "And I thank God for that, but I'm too vulnerable. I couldn't handle anything more right now."

"I know. And I wouldn't try anything, not unless you wanted…wait a minute. Who said anything about us hooking up?!?"

Hermione shrugged. "I dunno, I just thought you were insinuating—"

"Well I wasn't! You and me? No. Never. Us together is no."

"I couldn't agree more."

---

If someone had told Draco that every time he ran into Hermione Granger he would catch her singing he would have sent them to St. Mungo's.

Anyways, she was on stage this time, in the Great Hall. Dancing and singing a sporty little number. Malfoy slipped through the doors and slid into the shadows, going unobserved by Hermione. This song was interesting.

**You wanna know more, more, more about me  
I'm the girl who's kicking the coke machine  
I'm the one that's honking at you cuz I left late again  
  
Hey! Hey! Hey!  
  
Could you see I want you by the way I push you away, Ya!  
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today  
Mix the words up with the actions do it all for your reaction Ya!  
Hey! Hey!  
Get tangled up in me**

Yes, very interesting.

**You wanna know more, more, more about me  
Gotta know reverse psychology  
I'm the reason why you can't get to sleep  
I'm the girl you never get just quite what you see  
  
Hey! Hey! Hey!  
  
Could you see I want you by the way I push you away, Ya!  
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today  
Mix the words up with the actions do it all for your reaction Ya!  
Hey! Hey!  
Get tangled up in me**

**I totally agree…**Malfoy thought, staring at her. There she goes again, dancing like no one's watching, swinging her hips back and forth while head banging at the same time. The only girl that could ever pull that off.

**You think that you know me  
You think that I'm only  
When everything I do is only to get tangled up in you  
You wanna know more, more, more about me  
I'm the girl that's sweeping you off your feet**

**Well there's an interesting thought…**

(Anna- Quite)

(Kerry- Very)

(Hannah- Rather)

(Natalie- Indubitably)

(Did I get all those right?)

**Hey! Hey! Hey!  
  
Could you see I want you by the way I push you away Ya!  
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today  
Mix the words up with the actions do it all for your reaction, Ya!  
  
Hey! Hey!  
  
Get tangled up in me**

Minutes after Hermione finished, Blaise and Xave entered the Great Hall. Malfoy edged over next to them, appearing like he had entered at the same time.

"Hey Mione." Xave greeted her. "Singing without us?"

"Yes, and don't call me 'Mione' I hate it."

"Hey, all of us have stupid nicknames. Xavier's got Xave, and I've got Zab…" Blaise pointed out.

"What's Malfoy's?"

Silence.

"We'll call him Foy." Xave prompted.

"How about no!" Draco scowled.

"We can call him Bob." Hermione said randomly.

"More like Boob." Blaise muttered not-so-quietly.

"Let's get going, I want to run through Reason quick."

"Reason?" Hermione questioned.

"A song I wrote recently. No room for chicks, sorry." Draco smirked at her and Hermione rolled her eyes.

The three Slytherins assumed their positions and started playing.

**I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know  
  
I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you**

Malfoy wrote it…

**I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
That's why I need you to hear**

**I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is You**

**And the reason is you**

**And the reason is you**

**And the reason is you**

He was staring straight at her, and she didn't know how, but everything clicked. It was like the night she found her parents. Some red flag went up in the back of her mind, and she just knew he had written this about her, to her, that she was the reason he was changing.

**I'm not a perfect person  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know  
  
I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you**

She loved the thought of it. The cause of Malfoy's transformation. It made her feel extremely special, given how stubborn and pompous Draco Malfoy was.

**I've found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you**

She wanted to cry. It was too perfect.

"That was great." She tried not to let what she was feeling show in her voice. She concealed it well.

"Thanks." They muttered together.

"Blaise, you should do you're song." Malfoy suggested.

Zab hesitated for a second, then nodded, switching guitars and places with Malfoy.

**We all know the girls that I am talking about  
Well they are time bombs and they are ticking  
And the only question's when they'll blow up  
And they'll blow up; we know that without a doubt  
Cause they're those girls, yeah you know those girls that let their emotions get the best of them  
  
And I've contrived some sort of a plan to help my fellow man  
Let's get emotional girls to all wear mood rings  
So we'll be tipped off to when they're ticked off  
Cause we'll know just what they're thinking  
Cause what they're thinking...**

Hermione had never her Blaise singing so boldly. He usually stood away from the spotlight, only doing accompaniment when Xavier didn't want to. His voice was soft, but sweet, though Hermione wasn't quite sure of the lyrics.

(Dedicated to my good friend Anna E., who is currently in the hospitalL)

**She's so pretty but she but doesn't always act that way  
Her mood's out swinging on the swing set almost every day  
She said to me that she's so happy it's depressing  
And all I said was someone get that girl a mood ring  
  
If it's drama you want then look no further  
They're like the real world meets boy meets world meets days of our lives  
And it just kills me how they get away with murder  
They'll anger you then bat their eyes; those pretty eyes that watch you sympathize**

**Well, it _is_ true…**Hermione thought.

**And I've contrived some sort of a plan to help my fellow man  
Let's get emotional girls to all wear mood rings  
So we'll be tipped off to when they're ticked off  
Cause we'll know just what they're thinking  
Cause what they're thinking...  
  
She's so pretty but she but doesn't always act that way  
Her mood's out swinging on the swing set almost every day  
She said to me that she's so stressed out that it's soothing  
And all I said was someone get that girl a mood ring**

**Cause when it's black means watch your back because you're probably  
The last person in the world right now she wants to see  
And when it's blue it means that you should call her up immediately  
And ask her out because she'll most likely agree  
And when it's green it simply means that she is really stressed  
And when it's clear it means she's completely emotionless and that's all right I must confess**

Yes, this song about girls was very true, and Hermione liked it. She loved Blaise's voice. Malfoy was a good singer, but his tone was loud and harsh, convicting and ruthless.

**We all know the girls that I am talking about  
She liked you Wednesday but now it's Friday and she has to wash her hair  
And it just figures that we'll never figure them out  
First she's Jekyll and then she's Hyde....at least she makes a lovely pair**

At this point, Blaise dropped to one knee, the drums stopped and his was the only guitar, playing a single note at a time.

**Mood ring oh mood ring  
Oh tell me will you bring  
The key to unlock this mystery  
Of girls and their emotions  
Play it back in slow motion  
So I may understand the complex infrastructure known as the female mind**

He turned to Xave behind him. "Heh…that was terrible…"

"Blaise that was incredible! I didn't know you could sing like that!"

Blaise Zabini blushed. "Thanks, I don't like tons of attention. Not like my man Bob here." He said, reaching over and messing up Draco's hair.

Whether Malfoy scowled from being called Bob or from having his hair messed with (or both) they didn't know, because all of a sudden there was a loud crack, like someone apparating. But that was clearly impossible.

NO ONE can apparate into or disapparate from Hogwarts!

But Hermione suddenly felt dizzy, the room was spinning slightly and fading in and out of blackness. Then it was done. Everything was right back the way it was minutes before, and looking around she could tell the unexpected bang had an affect on everyone else.

There was a moment of confused silence, quickly broken by a cold drawling voice. "Who let the mudblood in?" Hermione spun around and glared at Malfoy.

"Excuse me, Ferret, I will be wherever I want." She hissed.

"Get your filthy blood out of my sight before I'm sick." Xavier commanded regally.

"_You _get _your _pureblood ass out of_ my _sight before you make _me _sick!" she yelled back.

"Hey, don't talk to him like that, bitch!" Blaise's harsh voice broke the next lapse of silence.

"Watch it!" Hermione hissed.

"Get out, Granger, before I hex you into oblivion." Malfoy's drawling voice came again.

She didn't know why, but his words were really hurting her. But she stared back into his eyes defiantly, her face a perfect mask of hate.

"Go cry about your dead parents some more." He ridiculed, his words dripping with malice.

That was it. Everything was a blaze of smoke and curses. And when the smoke cleared, there was quite a sight to be held.

For Draco Malfoy was now a ferret, and Hermione Granger was a duck.

---

Well that's that, whatcha think of this? Nice twist at the end? I'll read more into what happened in the next sections.

Review please!


	3. Transformation

**People have been asking: why stingy on the magic?** --I don't want them to be too dependent on magic to do everything—plus, one might note that it is STILL summer vacation and they can STILL be warned/expelled from Hogwarts even though they are at the school…I got my self into a predicament here…

Sorry forgot bout this: Here's a list of all the songs/artists I've used in my story so far:

Girls Lie Too—Terri Clark  
Break Away—Kelly Clarkson  
Breaking the Habit—Linkin Park  
Solitude—Evanescence  
Anywhere—Evanescence  
Perfect Day—Hoku  
Tourniquet—Evanescence  
Clowns—TATU  
If I Ain't Got you—Alicia Keys  
Tangled Up In Me—Skye Sweetnam  
The Reason—Hoobastank  
Mood Rings—Relient K

Don't expect any songs written by me, I write poems. Poems and songs are two VERY different things.

Also don't expect to see any poems of mine in here; it's just not appropriate/relevant to the story.

Okay, on with the story that I have no idea where I'm going with…

---

"Squeak! Squeak-squeak squeaky squeak!" The ferret scampered around the stage in alarm.

"Quack! Quack quack!" the duck did the same.

Blaise and Xavier watched in amusement.

"Well that's interesting…" Xave mused.  
(-Quite)  
(-Rather)  
(-Very)  
(-Indubitably)

The duck waddled up to the ferret, quacking at loud intervals.

"Quack quack quack!"

"Squeaky squeak squeak!"

The duck went mad. "QUACK QUACK! Quacky quack quacky quack QUACK!!!" It began chasing the ferret around the stage, snapping its beak and hissing.

"SQUEEEEEAAK!" the ferret ran. Fast little ferret. (Twitchy too, hehe, also, very _flinchy_)

"Should we change them back?" Blaise questioned, suppressing laughter.

"Maybe just the mudblood, I think I like Malfoy better that way…"

---

Hermione felt strange. And short. Very short. She looked around. Everything was bigger. Except that ferret, that was the same size as her.

Wait a minute, either that's one _big _ferret or…Hermione looked down.

"AHHH! Oh my God! I'm a duck!!" But she didn't say the words. All she heard was quacking. Malfoy was a different story.

"Ahh! Not again!!! Merlin PLEASE not again!" he was running around in panic, and Hermione could understand what he was saying.

"MALFOY! WHAT did you do to us?!"

"Me? You think I would do this to myself you retched…duck?" Malfoy stared at Hermione, and then began to laugh.

Okay, that's it. Anger boiled in Hermione so much she could have sworn her feathers were red. "MALFOY I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! Ducks EAT ferrets!"

"No they don't!" Malfoy argued.

"THEY DO NOW!" Hermione snapped at Malfoy and he took off on his quick ferret feet.

Hermione tried, very unsuccessfully I might add, to waddle after him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Malfoy zinged around the stage, screaming his little white ferret head off.

All of a sudden Hermione was being lifted off the ground. She tried relentlessly to kick her webbed feet to be released, but Blaise held tight.

---

"Good luck with Malfoy, Xave." Blaise picked up the duck.

Xavier chased after Malfoy a bit, finally catching him and setting him on the table next to Hermione.

The duck snapped at the ferret and the ferret bared its sharp little teeth.

"Enough!" Xave said firmly.

"How are we supposed to change them back?" Blaise asked.

"Don't know, don't care."

The ferret gave an indignant little squeak, causing the duck to roll her eyes.

"What should we do mudblood?" Blaise asked the duck.

"Quack."

"Okay…any suggestions, Malfoy?"

"Squeak squeaky squeaky squeak!" the ferret yelped urgently, jumping up and down on all fours.

The duck rolled her eyes again.

---

"Why did you have to go there, Malfoy? Why do you _always _have to go there?"

"Shut up, mudblood, I'm trying to figure something out."

"Oh how cute…Malfoy is thinking."

"What was that big bang?"

"It had nothing to do with us, _you _did this to us!"

"Did not! We hit each other. And I think it did…"

Hermione snapped at Malfoy again. "Shut up, it didn't."

"Then how come we all started freaking out afterwards, mudblood?"

"What do you care…_ferret_."

The ferret's eyes narrowed. "I didn't hate you before. It was just…all of a sudden…I reverted."

"Yeah, Malfoy. We were all friends, then we _reverted _back to our old states."

"That's it!" Malfoy squeaked excitedly.

"What's it?" Hermione questioned, but Malfoy ignored her.

Instead he began to jump up on all fours, squeaking "It was Recurro! The reverting spell! You have to use Retexo!"

But Blaise and Xavier only looked at him strangely, and Hermione only rolled her eyes.

"How will that help us turn back to normal?" she asked impatiently, tapping one of her webbed feet.

"It will change our personalities, don't you get it mudblood? Someone cast Recurro so we would all go back to the way we were before we became friends!"

Hermione ignored him and began to think. "Let's see…the transformation charm should take care of it…oh but what was the spell?"

"Liturae." Malfoy answered her.

"But how do we let them know? I dropped my wand, and even if I had it, well, what would a duck do with a wand?!"

---

"We need to change them back, start thinking of spells."

"Let's go to the library." Xave suggested, picking up Hermione, who promptly snapped at him. "Watch it, mudblood; I know how to make Peking duck." The duck narrowed its eyes and hissed.

Blaise picked up the ferret Malfoy and followed Xavier to the old books.

It was at least forty minutes before Blaise found the spell they needed.

"Squeak squeak!"

"Quack…"

"Liturae!" Blaise yelled, waving his wand at them.

There were two small pops, and in a purple poof, Hermione and Malfoy were crammed on the table next to each other.

"Ouch! Get off mudblood!"

"Screw you, Malfoy; I could have snapped your fuzzy little neck if I wanted to!" 

"Yeah, if you could've caught me! Merlin knows how you got anywhere _waddling _like that!" he sneered.

"Die!"

They weren't on the table anymore; Hermione had made sure of that when she tackled Malfoy.

They were now rolling around on the floor, slapping and punching and clawing and…biting…creepy.

Blaise and Xave stood watching for a moment, cheering Malfoy on to "kick her impure arse.", but pulled them apart when they realized that Hermione was in fact the one kicking arse.

"Alright that's enough." Blaise said, holding Hermione back.

She looked over to Xave, who was holding back a bloody Malfoy. Hermione felt flushed, and was drawing breath in great gasps. She touched her lip and felt it covered in warm, sticky blood.

"Sorry, I kind of…lost my mind…don't touch me _chaste._" Hermione ripped her arms from Blaise's grip, sulking off to a corner of her own.

"I figured out what happened. Recurro. Someone used it on us, so we would fight."

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter right now, all that matters is getting back to normal. What was that spell again Granger?"

"What's it matter Malfoy?"

"WHAT WAS THE SPELL?" he roared.

"Retexo." She stared into his cold, hard eyes and tried to suppress a shudder. She failed.

Blaise preformed the spell. Again the room spun a bit and for a moment, Hermione thought he had blinded them all. She blinked a few times and shook her head and the world came back into focus.

She looked over to Malfoy, who had just grabbed a chair to keep balance and was also shaking his head.

He looked up at her and their eyes locked, sending a pang of guilt through her for making him bleed. She apologized with her eyes and quickly looked away.

The four of them looked at each other sheepishly, apologizing silently to each other for their words and actions, as Hermione had just done.

"Who…" Hermione started.

"Or what." Malfoy added.

"How did that happen?" Blaise asked, befuddled.

"How _could _it happen?" Xavier posed.

"Who could've…" Hermione started again.

"_What _could've…" Malfoy interrupted again.

"Unsolved mystery." Blaise sighed. "There's no way to find out, is there?"

"We're going to have to, if I'm ever going to feel safe here again…" Hermione muttered.

"Oh piffle, Dumbledore's here; as long as he's here we're safe." Malfoy likes to interrupt people.

"Yeah I suppose—wait a minute…did you just like _compliment _Dumbledore?" Hermione plopped down in a chair, holding her head. "I'm amazed…"

"Piss off, Granger; I'm just saying…"

"That Dumbledore _is _useful! Which you have _never _admitted!"

Malfoy sighed and rubbed his temple. Please just belt up…" 

-Bout 2 weeks later-

"Sing something."

"I don't _want _to sing anything!"

"Just _sing _something!" Malfoy insisted. They were in his room, Hermione having followed him after he had showed her the Slytherin common room.

"If I do, will you leave me alone?"

"If I'm satisfied, yes."

Hermione sighed and walked over to the recently conjured keyboard and began to play.

After a short solo she began to sing.

**I've been looking in the mirror for so long.  
That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side.  
Oh the little pieces falling shatter.  
Shards of me,  
Too sharp to put back together.  
Too small to matter,  
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces.  
If I try to touch her,  
And I bleed,  
I bleed,  
And I breathe,  
I breathe no more.**

Malfoy was slightly taken aback at how much of herself she put into this song, obviously written after she had changed.

Malfoy realized something then. **She didn't want to be like this…**he thought. **She doesn't like to act tough and push everyone away…she has no other choice…**

**Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well.  
Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.  
Lie to me;  
Convince me that I've been sick forever.  
And all of this  
Will make sense when I get better.  
But I know the difference,  
Between myself and my reflection.  
I just can't help but to wonder,  
Which of us do you love.**

Alarmingly Draco realized he was suppressing tears from falling from his eyes, stifling a cry that was forcing its way out.

**So I bleed,  
I bleed,  
And I breathe,  
I breathe now...  
Bleed,  
I bleed,  
And I breathe,  
I breathe,  
I breathe-  
I breathe no more.**

Another short piano solo and there was silence, broken only by Hermione's slight sigh.

The quietness stretched before them, and after a while Malfoy got up and sat down next to Hermione.

After a bit he spoke quietly. "You don't have to be the way you are…"

"But I do…" came her small voice. 

"Why?"

"Because, my soul is in the mirror, and the mirror is broken…there's no way I can get it back…"

"I can help you…" he breathed. "I can help you be the way you were."

"I don't want to be the way I was!" Hermione breathed angrily through her teeth. "Why do you think I became this in the first place?"

"Well," Malfoy hesitated. "Maybe you can be both. Just don't go as extreme as a freaky Goth, but also not as far as a boffin bookworm. You know…neutral."

"I can do that?"

"Sure. Just dye your hair back to its natural color, get a little color into your clothes. The make up really works with you, but you might want to try something a bit more feminine than black, as good a color as it is."

A tear slid down Hermione's cheek. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Malfoy considered this before he answered. "I already told you, Granger, you enthrall me. You're voice is so beautiful, but it's trapped in a body that it doesn't belong to. That voice belongs in a human's body. You've become a robot, Hermione, a machine. The death of your parents, of Black, everything that happened in the Department of Mysteries…that's what's changed you."

"Why are you trying to be my friend?" she asked desperately, so quiet he had to lean closer to hear her.

"I didn't know I had to try." He answered, producing a weak smile from Hermione.

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Hermione looked over at Malfoy, once again locking gazes with him. "You know, once you get past the prattiness, the self-centeredness, the vanity, the idiocy, the prejudice, the pride, the egotism, the arrogance, the surreptitiousness, the difficultness, the haughtiness, the superiority ness, the holier-than-thou-ness, the contemptuousness, the babyishness, the spoiled ness, the immaturity ness, the foolishness and let's not forget the prattiness, you're a really good friend."

"You said prattiness twice."

"I did? Hmm, well, you _are _quite a prat. A double pain in the arse if you ask me. You _are_ quite a clever dick. You can be somewhat of a git also. Kind of a toff…hmm. And the fact that we get along when we're chalk and cheese, well it's just great."

"Thanks, Granger. You're just boosting my self-esteem here."

"Glad to be of help." She smiled, slapping his leg, then looking down and promptly removing her hand.

"So what do you say? We start the transformation tomorrow?"

"I say, Malfoy, that that is the best thing I've heard out of your mouth since I got here."

---

It was a nice sunny day. Perfect for a trip down into Hogsmeade.

Malfoy showed her to a sub-street she had never noticed before. It had only a few shops, including clothing stores, a shoe store, and a hair salon.

"How did I never notice this?" Hermione asked in amazement."

"Search me." Draco shrugged, pulling her into a clothes store.

Hermione immediately grabbed a lime green boob tube (tube top) and a black miniskirt and went to the dressing room to try it on.

She walked out, scanning herself in the mirror and gaining an appreciative whistle from Malfoy.

She turned and scowled at him.

"How bout these?" he asked raising his eyebrows, holding up a pair of knickers.

Hermione laughed. "I'm good thanks."

When time came to pay, Draco stepped up, amazing Hermione.

Next came the hair salon. She had her hair trimmed a bit, and dyed to a medium brown, with a few blonde highlights. She then looked into some lighter makeup that accented her cheekbones and drew out the gold specks to her brown eyes. Again Malfoy stepped up to the cash register and paid the expenses.

When they had finished shopping they ate lunch at a small café (on Hermione) and headed back to Hogwarts.

"Ooohh, we _have _to stop in here!" Hermione drug Malfoy into a bookstore.

Smirking he shook his head and muttered something like. "You can take the girl out of the bookworm…"

---

So there they were again, sitting on top of that bloody Astronomy Tower, in silence might I add.

Hermione pulled out a cigarette and lit up.

"Ahem."

She turned to Malfoy. "You want one?"

"Yeah." Draco reached over and took the cigarette from between her fingers and dropped it to the ground far below.

"Hey!"

"We're quitting."

"We're whatting?"

"We are quitting. No more smoking, very unnatural for you."

"Buzz off." Hermione scowled at Malfoy as she pulled out another cigarette.

Again Malfoy pulled it from her and dropped it, then proceeded to wrestle the whole box from her.

"Stop it, those are expensive!"

"Good, then you won't waste your money on them." Malfoy gave her a malicious grin. "And neither will I."

"Ugh! You are so exasperating!"

"I know."

"Com_pletely _infuriating!"

"Who isn't?"

Hermione turned and stared at Malfoy. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why do you keep asking me that?" he shot back.

"Just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat who pried, you know."

"Yeah and the duck killed the ferret that took away her cigarettes." Hermione glared at him grudgingly.

"Don't be so sour, it doesn't suit you."

"I'll be however I want!" she snapped.

"Intervention, remember?" Malfoy paused. "Or do you want to stay trapped in that mirror?"

Hermione looked away, into the Forbidden Forest.

There was silence for a while, could have been ten minutes, could've been two…there was no way either could know.

"What does it matter why? I just want to help you."

Hermione turned back to him, staring into his eyes. "What do you get out of all this?"

Malfoy's eyes flickered, but he didn't answer.

"There's something, isn't there. A reason why you're so nice to me all of a sudden…" her voice got quieter. "What is it?"

"There's a contest. We need you in our band to win it."

"What do you win?"

"Galleons. Twenty-thousand galleons."

"Twen…twenty-_thousand_?!?" Hermione breathed.

"You don't understand, I need it. If my parents found out…I need the money, okay?"

"Find out what?"

Draco muttered something under his breath, deliberately slurring his words.

"What?"

Malfoy sighed. "I'm not sure if…I don't know…how…_loyal_ I would be to the Dark Lord."

"You mean—you don't…you don't want to?"

"I mean I don't know. And if they found out, I'd be gone like _that._" Malfoy snapped his fingers. "One of two things would happen. I would loose everything, become a blood-traitor, or I'd be…"

"Would they? Just because…"

"They would for pettier reasons."

More silence passed between them. "So that's…" Hermione started, but hesitated. "Never mind."

"No, what?"

"That's the only reason then?"

Malfoy shrugged. "I don't know…"

"I want a yes or no." She paused. "Which one, Malfoy? Which one of us do you love?"

Draco sighed. "It's more complicated than that."

"_How_?"

"I didn't want to be your friend. I hate it; always fearing what would happen if anyone else found out. I just wanted you in the band so we would win and I'd have the money. Then if they did find out, I'd have something they couldn't take from me. That they didn't know about."

"So it's her, then? The depressed, lonely Hermione, feeling only regret and hatred?"  
  
"It's both of you." Malfoy whispered. "I don't want one or the other. I want both of you."

"You can't have both, Malfoy. And if that's all you tried to accomplish today—" Hermione stood up. "Then I have better people to waste my time on."

"Wait!" Draco grabbed the wrist hanging at her side. He stood up. "Don't go, I didn't mean it like that."

"That's the thing, Malfoy. You never mean it."

She turned again to leave and he, again, stopped her. "Don't go." He said more firmly.

He stared down into her eyes, and moved a little closer. "What…" but Draco cut her off with a swift kiss.

He broke it off just as fast as he had laid it on her, and Hermione looked confused. "What was that?" she asked dazedly.

"That was what one would call a kiss, Granger." She looked up into his face; amusement dancing in his eyes.

She blushed quickly. "I knew that, I mean…why?"

"Don't know." Malfoy laughed. "That's the beauty of it."

Hermione gave him a slight smile and shook her head. "You are very odd, Malfoy."

---

Looking back she didn't know why Malfoy had kissed her. She almost knew he meant nothing by it, that he was just trying to confuse her into staying (which she did, for three more hours in blissful silence).

But she didn't like looking back on it, because it brought back everything she had felt in that split second—comfort that only Malfoy could give, sadness she could never have him, confusion because she wanted to kiss him again, lust (blatantly obvious one there), anger that he dared kiss her without her permission, more anger that he would not kiss her again, even more anger and sadness because he had never meant anything by it, and loneliness, because she now knew everything she was missing. She hated it.

Best thing was to put it all out of her mind, and focus on wondering why any of them hadn't received any letters of warning when they used their wands…

---

Shorter one, whatcha think? I'm getting really tired of making confusing plots because I'll have about 30 questions in my reviews that I can't answer…

Grr…

Umm, I should give you a list of all the British slang I used, but I don't feel like writing it all up.

So if you have any questions on the words/expressions I used go here and look em up!

:: effingpot :: (Take out spaces!) add www. and .c o m

Alright well nighty night then!


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